Does anybody else still use their mobile when they're driving?

[rickman]

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I never really use my mobile anyway. One thing I hate apart from people driving whilst using their mobile, is the people that do an emergency stop in the middle of the road and when you eventually manage to get past them, they are there busy chatting away. Why can't they at least pull over somewhere safe futher up the road? Instead of blocking the road.

Yesterday I saw a car with five adults in it going round a roundabout. The driver was on the phone whilst trying to drive. I can't work out why one of the other four weren't using the phone for him?

Makes you all wonder what we all did ten yearas ago?

Yes I do but hands free only and I put the headset on BEFORE I start driving.

OK, have more time than earlier now to answer this question!

Personally, I think that the issue with talking on a mobile goes beyond the actual physical you-need-to-use-a-hand-to-hold-it risk.

When you talk on the phone, you are concentrating about the conversation you're having. This is also the case when you are driving and chatting to passengers in the car, but there's one crucial difference - if they're in the car, they can see when you're joining a motorway, overtaking, navigating a roundabout in heavy traffic, etc. On the phone, someone can continue asking you complicated questions/ranting/telling you funny things, etc and not know what you're doing in the car - therefore they don't modify their conversation at all to take account of this and this can be very distracting as you're trying to drive.

I think that even hands-free phones are very dangerous and I won't use a mobile at all in any way in the car. Also, if I ring someone and they're driving, I ask when they're likely to be at their destination and call them back. Imagine the horror of hearing crumpling metal and screams when you're on the phone to someone who's driving...

No I've never used the phone whilst driving because 1) can't concentrate on both
2) can't physically coordinate both
3) still have trouble using a mobile at all!! ds is still trying to teach me to text

I use my mobile whilst in the car but only with a hands free headset, which I sort out before I set off. I have never used my mobile in the car without a headset, even before the law.

I can't see any problem with using it with a hands free kit - no different to chatting to someone sat in the car IMO.

hunkermunker - your difference of passengers isn't always going to work though. Children, especially toddlers, have no idea of road hazards, and many non-drivers don't either - therefore they will not think to quieten down at certain times.

I don't. Wouldn't even if it wasn't law. Especially with dd in the car.

Dh used to but got a handsfree when the new law came in. He uses that now but only to answer calls.

I have in the past asked my children to be quiet for a few minutes when I need to concentrate on driving. They have grown up with me learning, and I only passed my test 18 months ago, so they are always aware that it's important for Mummy to concentrate, they're very good.

I rarely use my phone, rarely carry it round with me in fact, have never and would never use it whilst driving. It makes me incredibly angry seeing people attached to theirs while driving. It is so unecessary.

Never, ever, ever. It's dangerous, antisocial and selfish, but amazing how many people you see still doing it

yes. I do it on the little country lanes on the way to the 'big' (B) road. But I know I shouldnt and I promise I'll try to stop

HM you're right - I'm sure I remember hearing a radio programme which demonstrated that it's not just the hands free issue, it's the fact that (adult) passengers in the car shut up when something sudden happens.

have seen a bus driver texting and chatting on his mobile the entire journey. bus full of kids.

I don't, I ingore the phone and then find somewhere safe to put over, normally a sidestreet, and phone them back. I normally don't even heard my phone anyway

Yes its true that hands free phones have been proven to be as much as a distraction as mobiles. I saw a woman today go straight through a red light on a pedestrian crossing whilst she was on her phone - don't think she even saw the lights or the crossing ! She never batted an eyelid

But there is no actually prove of any of this is there? I was under the impression that there were no offical figures for how many car accidents are caused by use of mobile phones, let alone those by hands free. I have tried searching the net briefly just to see but can't find anything.

I still think a crying baby in the back seat (or worse front seat so you can see and communicate with them) is more distracting than talking to someone on a hands free mobile, where you are in control of how long you talk for and about what.

I dont really use a mobile, so not an issue for me.

Going to upset the apple cart now.

Does anybody smoke whilist driving?

Does anybody eat whilist driving?

Does anybody have a conversation in the car whilist driving.

Does anybody change a radio station whilist driving, without using the controls on the steering wheel?

Think these are all just as bad as talking on a mobile

Already been yelled at for starting a smoking thread and picking on the poor smokers....

Yes I do occasionally.

Presumably listening to the radio is as bad too? They don't know to shut up when I am approaching a band either - and I can't even tell them too either. I could turn it down I guess, but tht means removing my hand from the sterring wheel.

Scarier still - has anyone sneezed when driving? Far more dangerous if you think about it. You have no idea it is coming, can happen at any time and it involves you shutting your eyes and not focusing at all for a brief time.

I think we could talk all of thee to extremes really.

I've just got rid of my mobile phone on the grounds that I hardly ever used it. Never used it while driving.

There's a definite difference between having a radio on and having a 2 way conversation. Radio listening is more passive and people can "tune out" more easily when something more important takes over - same with music. Whereas a conversation is more engaging of your attention and it's much harder to tune out from it.

But about the sneezing - I know someone who sneezed while driving and had an accident! When the police arrived, the other driver who was involved was ranting about charging her with careless driving. The police seemed to agree with him (she'd gone straight into him for seemingly no reason) until she explained that she'd sneezed. They immediately changed their attitude and said, Oh well, that's an act of God then, and weren't remotely interested in pursuing it anymore. In fact, they told the other driver to calm down and stop effing and blinding otherwise they'd arrest him!

Hula - I have volume control for my stereo on my steering wheel, as does DH in his car, so we don't remove our hands from the wheel .

IMO Listening to the radio is very different to using a telephone whilst driving. As Hula says you can turn the vol down if it impedes your concentration and also, I don't know about you, but I'm only ever half listening to the radio/CD anyway. Unlike a phone convo, the radio does not require a large portion of my attention.

I also don't smoke whilst driving (don't smoke full stop) or drink/eat whilst driving.

Sorry Caligula, just repeated you there

DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!!!!!
Last week I overtook a car in the middle lane of the motorway because it wasn't driving straight, it seemed "all over the place". While I was in the outside lane it shot out infront of me and swerved back into the middle lane - scared the life out of me.
It was a women TEXTING on her mobile phone as she was holding the steering wheel. A bloody great BMW estate !!!
I AM SORRY TO SHOUT BUT F*K, IT REALLY P**ES ME OFF

IT REALLY ANNOYS ME how many people sit in the middle lane of the motorway, oblivious to traffic either side of them, chatting away on their mobile phone. IT'S PURE SELFISHNESS
They really don't give a damn about the risk to EVERYONE else beside themselves.
Hence the fact I hate being on the motorway with my 11 month old dd!!